[Te’o] thought it was a female he was talking with. It was Ronaiah as Lennay.

Te’o told Katie Couric this week that he did lie about the fake dead girlfriend — but only at the very tail end of the hoax, after he got one more phone call from the — surprise — undead girlfriend (actually falsetto Tuiasosopo) saying she faked her death to escape angry drug dealers:

Katie, put yourself in my situation. I, my whole world told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on September 12. Now I get a phone call on December 6, saying that she’s alive and then I’m going be put on national TV two days later. And to ask me about the same question. You know, what would you do?

We’re starting believe Manti really wasn’t in on the hoax. Maybe he’s just a moron.